The Secret of the Kaolla Sisterhood
by moonlightknight
Summary: Kaolla and Shinobu have been friends for about a year. Having been through many highs and lows together, they feel so close as if they were sisters. Kaolla makes a proposal to make Shinobu her sister. Shinobu accepts, but she must complete three tasks. Will she pass the test, giving each girl a sister they never had but always wanted?


**Author Note: I have never read nor seen "Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". This is just a clever title I came up with. Read, enjoy, and review.**

**The Secret of the Kaolla Sisterhood**

"Shinobu, how long have you and I been friends?"

"Gee, Kaolla. I don't really know. Maybe about a year."

"Only that long? Seems so much longer."

"Yeah, it does, especially with all the experiences and adventures we've had together."

"All the smiles and tears we've shared."

"It's almost as if we're sisters."

"Would you like to be a real sister of Kaolla?"

"A sister…of you?"

"Yeah."

"I would be honored, Kaolla!"

"There is a process you must go through before you'll be a sister of Kaolla. Once you start, you must see it through to finish. You still wish to be my sister?"

"Yes, I want to be your sister."

"Okay. Come to my room after dinner. Prepare yourself, Shinobu."

After doing the post-dinner cleaning, Shinobu made her way up the stairs to Kaolla's room. She paused in front of the door, recalling the conversation they had earlier on their way home from school. Kaolla's last statement about preparing herself got Shinobu to wondering what lay in store for her on the other side, knowing how weird and crazy some of Kaolla's antics could be. But, deep within her heart, Shinobu really wanted to be Kaolla's sister. She never had a sibling of her own and truly wanted to be eternally connected to the best friend she deeply loved and cared for. With a breath of courage, Shinobu knocked on the door.

"Enter, Shinobu."

No matter how many times she went into Kaolla's room, it always amazed Shinobu. How Kaolla got palm trees and lush jungle vegetation into the room, let alone have it grow and thrive indoors, was beyond anyone's imagination. But that was just yet another example of Kaolla's genius and mysticism.

"Where are you?"

"I'm here."

Looking to her left, Shinobu spotted her friend in a familiar looking white halter and ankle length skirt. "Kaolla, aren't those your wedding clothes?"

"They're not just for wedding, but also for special ceremonies. Becoming a sister of Kaolla is very special."

"It really looks nice on you, Kaolla."

A slight blush came to the caramel-skinned girl's cheeks. "Now, last chance: Shinobu want to be sister of Kaolla?"

"I do."

"Beyond doubt?"

"Beyond all doubt."

"Very well. You must complete three tasks in order to become a sister of Kaolla: feed the heart, cleanse the body, unify the soul. You must complete all three without question and right in a row. Failure of one means failure of all. No start-overs, no do-overs. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Then follow me."

Kaolla lead Shinobu through her jungle room to a small table with a single banana on a plate.

"What's this, Kaolla?"

"This is the first task: feed the heart. As you know, bananas are full of good things. In my home country, it is a main ingredient in our diet not just because it is plentiful and healthy. We believe it gives essential life and strength to the core of our being: the heart. In this task, you must take one perfect banana and eat it together with me, you from one end and me from the other. This will show our coming together through willingness to share life and strength with one another."

After removing the unblemished yellow peel, Kaolla held the banana between them. "Ready?"

Shinobu nodded. They both ate away at the banana and when they both came to the middle, their lips touched as they finished the fruit. "Were we supposed to kiss like that, Kaolla?"

"Unfortunately, that's a side effect of task. Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind at all. You've kissed me before. I know you only kiss those you deeply care for."

"You are right. On to the next task."

Kaolla then led Shinobu to a small spring with a grassy bank and colorful flowers and foliage all around. "Task number two: cleanse the body. In my home country, we go to pools or lakes to bathe. It gives us a chance to shed off the things of man and reconnect with elements of nature: the sun, the earth, the wind, the water. Also, with no covering on our bodies, no outside judgment can be made. When naked, we are all equal. In this task, we will bathe one another in order to show trust in our most vulnerable state and prove we are equal with no bias. First, I'll bathe you and then you'll do the same to me. Okay?"

"Okay."

Shinobu got completely undressed and sat on the bank. Kaolla poured some spring water over her and began washing her from head to toe. Almost instantly, Shinobu closed her eyes and smiled, showing that she was quite at ease letting her friend perform the ritual upon her. After she was rinsed off, Kaolla patted Shinobu dry with a pure white body towel.

Wrapped in a body towel it was Shinobu's turn to return the favor. Kaolla got out of her ceremonial clothes and sat at the water's edge. Shinobu felt Kaolla completely relax while she bathed her friend in the same manner as she was, with a sweet gentility that expressed all the love and trust she had for Kaolla.

Taking another white body towel, Shinobu began drying off her friend. "So, what is the next task, Kaolla?"

"The final task: unify the soul."

"And what do I need to do?"

"Sleep with me."

Shinobu dropped the towel. "Sleep…sleep with you?"

"Yes."

"You…you mean…as…as in…"

"Yes; for one night, you must sleep in the same bed as me."

Shinobu backed away. "No, no, I can't do that."

Kaolla advanced. "You must in order to be a sister of Kaolla."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't." Shinobu grabbed her clothes and ran away.

Shinobu hurriedly got dressed and opened the door to leave the room. She stopped when she heard some crying. Making her way towards the sound, Shinobu found Kaolla sitting beside the spring with her face in her hands, her shoulders quaking with sobs. It was the first time she ever saw her normally happy and energetic friend in tears. Shinobu walked up to the sad girl. "Kaolla?"

"You broke my heart, Shinobu."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I love you. All I've ever wanted was to have you as a sister, someone to have a picnic and share food with, someone to do favors for like washing their back, someone to share a bed and sleep with. You were willing to do all of those except have a sleepover with me. You hurt me very much."

"I love you too, Kaolla, but when it comes to sleeping with someone, I…wait, did you say sleepover?"

"Yes."

"When you said, 'sleep with you', you didn't mean 'SLEEP' with you?"

"What did you think I meant?"

"I thought you meant that we'd have to kiss and touch each other and…and…"

Kaolla laughed. "No, no, you've got it all wrong. I did not mean for us to bump and grind. I believe such fun should be left to those who are grown up and wed, not us kids."

Shinobu sighed in relief. "I believe the same thing. Such intimacy should be saved for when we are older and with someone whom we love and are committed to with our whole heart."

"I'm sorry for misleading you."

"And I'm sorry for misunderstanding you."

The two girls hugged. "Are we still friends, Kaolla?"

"No."

"Huh?"

"We are now sisters."

"We are?"

"Yes. In the face of adversity, you still came back to my side. You loved me enough to work out our differences and find that our strong relationship is not worth ruining over a misunderstanding. Also, you showed that we have similar beliefs and feelings for one another. In my home country, that means two people are unified in soul. Congratulations. With the final task complete, this makes Maehara Shinobu a sister of Kaolla Su."

Shinobu and Kaolla hugged again, crying tears of joy at both having gotten what each other's heart so greatly desired: a sister.

"So, Kaolla, you want to have a sleepover?"

"I'd love that. How about here in my room?"

"Okay."

After having some fun playing games and chatting up a storm, the two girls put on their pajamas and got ready for bed.

"I've never slept in a tree before."

"It's real fun. All you need is good balance."

"What if I fall?"

Kaolla put her arms around Shinobu and held her close. "I will never let my sister fall."

Shinobu held onto Kaolla and closed her eyes. "Neither will I. Good night, my sister Kaolla."

"Good dreams be with you, my sister Shinobu."


End file.
